So you think MyLocoSound is the answer to cheap sound and will sound like a million?!

And you think buying MyLocoSound is not skimping on sound?! Why don't you use Phoenix sound at three times the price. It should sound a lot better

and I don't think that is skimping. Your statement sounds more like all the reasons you would not want to use MyLocoSound.

I think MyLocoSound is a good product in it's place. It is just not for me. I would rather pay $30 or$40 more and get remote control and sound that I find acceptable in a small diesel.

Tom

Maybe I misunderstood your earlier post. You said you wouldn't put an $80 sound system in a $110 locomotive, which is a sentiment I've heard others frequently say. The inference I get from that is you feel cheap locos only deserve cheap sound systems. You follow that up in this quote by saying you'd rather spend an additional $30 or $40 more for fully integrated remote control and sound. So while on one hand you wouldn't spend $80 for a sound system alone, you would be willing to spend $120 for sound and control? That's a different sentiment. It's not "cheap locos only deserve cheap sound," but "I want a good value sound and control system for this loco." That's something I can easily agree with.

On that front--especially small inexpensive critters--there is a wide array of suitable products which fit that bill. Revolution, BlueRail, RailPro, Loco Genie all offer good digital sound with good remote speed and function control. The DCC decoders do as well, though you'll have to add the cost of a wireless receiver if you want deadrail remote control (add another $100 - $140). In that specific market, MyLocoSound comes up short--primarily because it's solely a sound system. You'd have to integrate it with a remote throttle of some flavor. It would not be my choice for a sound system to be used in conjunction with 3rd-party command control system, even if its sound is on par or even superior to some of the sounds of its competitors in this class.

Peter may correct me on this, but I don't see that as being MyLocoSound's target audience. This product is aimed (as far as I can tell) at the folks who want good sound for their analog-DC locomotives. There are only three real players in this arena--MyLocoSound at $79, Dallee at $150, and Phoenix at $240. In that realm, MyLocoSound offers a very good value for its price. No, it's not in the same class as Phoenix, but it holds its own very well offering features I wouldn't expect to see at that price point. You're not going to find a cheaper sound system that doesn't sound screaming babies banging on cookie sheets. For those who say "cheap locos only deserve cheap sound systems," this is as cheap as it gets, and it's a surprisingly good value, in my opinion.

I totally get not wanting to spend "Phoenix" money on secondary locos on your roster. I've got a handful of locos that fit that bill myself. In the end, I wanted sound in them, so I put the system which gave me a good value for how those locos are to be used on the railroad--something to provide simple sound and motion in the garden while I work on other tasks. So maybe it doesn't "sound like a million" in these specific installations--not compared to my high-end DCC systems. Still, it's good for what my needs are for those locomotives. If I ever find myself using those locos in a different capacity, I'll likely swap out the sound for something higher-end. Hopefully that explains the point I was trying to make a bit more clearly.

Just to confirm Kevin's comment, yes our target audience is analog DC using track power or battery radio control. We aim to produce economical soundcards which are flexible and very easy to use and produce sounds which satisfy most garden railroaders.

I have Mylocosound cards in all of my Bachmann 4-6-0s and other steam locos controlled with Revo. Train Engineers. The Revolution with steam sound doesn't seem to keep up well with the four chuffs per revolution of the wheels, so I use your cards for sound instead. I especially like your newer blue card's sounds.

Getting back to your original question,

I have a battery converted Eggliner controlled by a Revolution. I was thinking about swapping out the original Revo. without sound with a Revo. with diesel sound but now that you're thinking of introducing this new sound card, what type of motor sound would you suggest for an Eggliner?

I concur with Sean. I also have a Bachmann rail truck that is RailBoss 4 controlled. An inexpensive sound card for this type of engine just might make me consider sound for it and my other 6 Bachmann RailBoss controlled engines.

I think there is defiantly a market for a low cost sound card aimed at critters and all sorts of gas/ diesel engines in America.

Years ago I bought a a diesel mylocosound card for a NW2 and I didn't like the way it sounded in that so I then put it in my aristo track powered rail truck and it is perfect. I really like the ability to control the horn and bell with a remote instead of reed switches.

Price of course is a sticking point. It is hard to spend $100 for a card and speaker for a engine that might be worth less than that but it is also ridiculous to spend $200 plus on a system that you might not be able to take full advantage of.

Confused

Ok, lets say I find the perfect locomotive for my need, on sale, for $80. Then I repaint her, and add detail parts to the tune of $60. Then I drop a sound card in her for $75 (or whatever these boards cost).

So what is the locomotive now worth?

A) going street price of $120.

B) $215 because that's what I spent on her.

C) More then $215, because she is a one of a kind.

d) less then $120, because she has been "altered".

Folks can argue each answer, with valid and invalid points for each answer. But she is worth a lot to me, because now I have just want I want, and I got it rather inexpensively, a bonus in my mind. So the argument about cheep locos only "deserve" cheep sound systems, doesn't quite work for me. At the end of the day, I want to be happy with my equipment, and so I was willing to spend the money for Sierra boards, even for some of my less expensive locomotives. The issue was affordability. My disposable income would not allow me to purchase enough Sierra boards.

Right now I have a collection of sound boards, of various manufacturers. Now I just need the time to start installing them, so that I can determine what board sounds right with what locomotive, and what I still need to purchase.

I don't want to overspend on sound, being as that am frugal. But I don't want any of my steamers to sound like a tin can full of rocks rolling down the tracks neither. So if that means spending a bit more for decent sound, then it means spending a bit more for decent sound. The original purchase price, or trade value, of the locomotive, has no bearing on me wanting it to sound good.